The Economique, first shown at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, is based on the recently facelifted 207 hatchback. It is powered by a 1.6-liter HDI diesel with 90HP that benefits from specially developed engine management software and the addition of an EGR heat exchanger to cool the re-injected exhaust gases.
Peugeot also fitted the Economique with a five-speed modified manual gearbox with a higher final drive ratio than the standard 207 hatchback while the supermini rides on low resistance Michelin 185/65R15 VLRR (Very low rolling resistance) tires.
Peugeot’s engineers, furthermore, lowered the ride height by 5mm and added a special aerodynamic package that
consists of a new lower bumper trim and deeper side extensions, optimized air intakes, under tray covers and special wheel trims plus a two-part rear spoiler. The 207 Economique, as a result, has a drag coefficient of only 0.274, compared to the standard 207 HDi 90 hatchback of 0.30.
The 207 Economique returns an average fuel consumption of just 74.2mpg UK (61.8mpg US or 3.8lt/100km) with C02 emissions of 99g/km.
In the UK the new Peugeot 207 Economique will be on sale in October and will be available in two trim levels, Economique and Economique + with prices starting at £12,995.
The outgoing Mazdaspeed3 had a lot going for it. The combination of a turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four, six-speed manual, LSD and a practical hatch solidified its place in our hearts when it spent a week in the Auto Blog Garage. While the aforementioned good stuff carries over to the redesigned 2010 model, any amount of stealth has been gobbled up by the new MPS’ gaping maw.
Output is now rated at 256 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque, and the new rear fascia with its Mazda6-inspired tail-lamps and darkened lower bumper looks great in person, but the Cheshire Cat grin and bulbous hood-scoop could give pause to buyers looking to fly below the radar while hunting WRXs and GTIs.
Rolls-Royce has finally put out the official details and images of its baby Roller, the 200EX. The name draws its illumination from the “experimental” prototypes that Rolls procreated during the pre-war era, but this version is more modern and has its sights set on the Bentley Continental Flying Spur.
While Rolls-Royce has presupposed the Geneva-bound 200EX a concept, one maw expect almost the whole exterior and interior detail to carry over to the production model when it arrives in 2010.However, the alphanumeric moniker will be replaced with something more traditional.
The styling is quintessentialand typical Rolls, pulling all the best marks from the Phantom and Drophead Coupe and fitting them into a decidedly smaller package. Based off the latest BMW 7 series platform, the 200EX spans 212.6 inches long, 83 inches wide and 61 inches tall, with a wheelbase of 129.7 inches. A new air suspension system hides behind the seven-spoke, 20-inch wheels, with the front hoops wrapped in 255/45 tires and the rears coated in 285/40 rubber. Rolls remains secrecy on engine details, with the only expetion that the 200EX is powered by a new V12.
Inside one can find all the top-rate, high-dollar trinkets that makes Rolls-Royce the standard of the luxury motoring world, including frosted lamps, chrome door handles, violin key switchgear and an ergonomic roller-ball controller to manipulate the car’s systems.
While we’re anxiously awaiting the official unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show next month, expect the production variant of the 200EX to bow at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this year.
According to the presentation of the new Concept 5-Series Gran Turismo to the members of the press, BMW went ahead and issued the first official photos and details of its 5-door study that will enter production later this year with minimal changes as the 5-Series GT. So what exactly is the GT we hear you ask. Tough question. The GT, which is established on the next generation 5-Series, will complement the sedan and Touring versions of BMW’s mid-size executive model, supposedly offering buyers MPV-like practicality and 7-Series cabin space in a liftback package with a coupe-like roofline.
BMW 5-series Gran Turismo Concept PAS then again, the GT which is described by BMW as the Progressive Activity Sedan (PAS), comes with a four-seat layout and a design that is sure to create a new outburst of controversy, especially in what concerns its squatted and ‘uber’ Bangle-ized buttocks. All we can say is that if any other carmaker (e.g. Ssangyong…) were to introduce such a vehicle, the press would be joking like a drunk comedian.
But anyhow, time to see the Bavarian concept car in detail. The GT is a really a big car, even larger than the 5-Series in every dimension. It measures 4.998 mm (197-inches) in length 1.901 mm (74.8-inches) in width and 1.559 mm (61.4-inches) in height with a limo-like 3.070 mm (120.9-inches) wheelbase.
BMW 5-series Gran Turismo Concept PAS Open the pillarless doors and you’ll find a four-seat layout and a panorama glass roof with BMW promising that the GT offers the passengers at the rear the same legroom as in the BMW 7 Series and virtually the same headroom as in the X5 SUV.
If necessary, the rear seats can move fore-and-aft by up to 100 mm or more than 3.9-inches so that with the seats moved as far forward as possible, the occupants still enjoy the same legroom as in the BMW 5 Series Sedan, with luggage capacity increasing from 430-liters (the 3-Series has 460-liters) to 570 liters or almost 20 cubic feet. With the rear seats folded down, the luggage compartment increaes to 1,650 liters or nearly 58 cubic feet.
BMW 5-series Gran Turismo Concept PAS this car’s flexibility is rounded off by a two-piece tailgate similar in design with that found in the Skoda Superb with separate openings for additional convenience.
BMW did not release any mechanical details on the 5-Series GT that will make its first public appearance at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show in early March. Soon you will be seen the production version of the PAS at this year’s Frankfurt Auto Show in September with sales beginning in Europe towards the end of the year or early 2010.
While SUVs by the truckload were being pumped out by every other automaker,so to say, Audi insisted that its wagons could offer the same benefits as a sport-ute – all wheel drive, rugged looks, cargo capacity – without the drawbacks. Ingolstadt has hop on the sport-ute bandwagon since then, but hasn’t given up the ghost on the wagon/SUV debate. While the A6-basded allroad quattro had to keep down the fort all by itself until now, at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, Audi will give it a kid brother based on the A4. The Audi A4 allroad quattro is essentially an A4 Avant wagon, only strengthened for that go-anywhere look. Ground clearance is marked up to a more commodious 180mm, while the underbody is reinforced front and rear with steel plates. Contrasting lower body cladding and flared wheel arches contribute to the off-road look, along with a unique grille, restyled rear bumper and roof rails on top of the Avant’s sleek roofline. Of course traction is provided by Audi’s trademark quattro all-wheel-drive system, putting the power down from the 211 hp 2.0-liter TFSI, 170hp 2.0-liter TDI or 240hp 3.0-liter TDI (gas, diesel and diesel for those unfamiliar with VW Group lexicon) through the six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
In Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland, Kia will have a brand new concept to share with the world in the shape of an MPV concept. In this case, Kia affirms the MPV stands for “Million Possibilities Vehicle”. According to this teaser image, its flanks share some of the design elements of the 2007 Kue concept mixed in with wheel wells that look inspired by Ford’s Kinetic design language. Kia’s bare bones press release states that the notion has some kind of “unique glass roof treatment”. We’ll have to wait until Geneva to see just what that means.
Honda has announced that it will unveil the final limited edition S2000 at the coming Geneva Motor Show this March. Since its first debut in UK in 1999 there have been 110,673 units of the car sold worldwide. A decade after this the S2000 will reach the end of its production at the end of June 2009. As the name suggests only 100 models of the rear-wheel drive roadster will be released.
The special edition S2000 will get the same 2.0-litre, 240HP engine. On the exterior the car will be unchanged with Grand Prix White paint, dark alloy wheels, black budging, red leather interior and numbered kick-plates.
Inside the limited production model will be equipped with a red leather interior and red coloring for stitching on the gear lever gaiter. All Edition 100 limited production models will have their unique numbered plaques on the kick-plates, which will denote the car’s position in the special edition series.
Honda S2000 Edition 100 is expected to go on sale in Europe in March with the price starting from £29,086.
Today the images and some detailed information about race-ready Porsche 911 GT3 were released by Porsche. The vehicle is expected to make its official debut at Geneva Motor Show coming March and will go on sale in North America later this year as a 2010 model. European buyers, however, will have the opportunity to purchase the car in May. When the car goes on sale in fall 2009 it will cost $113,150 in the United States including the shipping.
According to Porsche the new 911 GT3 will reach 0-62 mph only in 4.1 seconds and the top speed of the car is 194 mph. Due to an increase of the engine capacity, which is now 3.8 liters, the naturally-aspirated six-cylinder engine output has increased from 415-horsepower up to 435-horsepower.
Thanks to a sport-oriented Porsche Stability Management the car comes with disable stability control and traction control separately, which is available for the first time. This will allow drivers to be more flexible on track. The 911 GT3 will offer larger, lighter, and better-ventilated brakes with carbon-ceramic discs as an option.
The exterior features of the car are also updated. Front LED daytime running lights and LED taillights are the same as the regular 911’s. The exterior mirrors are a little larger in size. Altogether, the car does not look that aggressive now.
